William r



w. n. NICHOLS. Car Spring.-

Patepted May 19,' 1868.

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Laue-alarm No. 78,120, dated May 19,1868.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. NIGHQLS, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,have invented 'an Improved Gar- Spring; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,'and exact description of the same.

- My invention consists of an improvement, described hereafter, in the car-spring for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the third day of July, 1866, the object of my improvement being to dispense with the cumbrous and costly cast-iron boxdescribed in that patent In order to enable others skilled in the art to make anduse my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing, whichforms apart of'this specification, and in whichi I l Figure-1 is aside View. of my improved car-spring.

Figure 2, a sectional view. v

Figure 3, a transverse section on the line 1-2, fig: 2.

Figures 4 and 5,-longitudinal sections on the line 3-4, fig. 3, drawn to an enlarged scale, and showing difierent modes of retaining the layers of steel bars composing the spring; and.

Figure'llan inverted perspective view of one of the pockets or saddles.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.-

Two 5 rin s, A-andAi, fi 3, are in the resent instance, combined, each s 'rin bein com osedof three.

P g 7 P i P g z: P

layers of .bar-steeh'd, b,' and c, fig. 2, the inner layer,.a, being bent to the elliptical form shown, and its opposite ends being'bevelled and lapped together aty, fig, 2, while the second layer, 6, is berit'to a corresponding form, its opposite endsbeing bevelled and lappedtogetherat x, fig. 2.. Theouter layers, 0, although forming, a com.

ponent pa r-toi the spring, are not continuous, but terminate at m 115. Each spring may consist of desired number of layers, according to the rigiditya nd elasticity desired.

In my former patent, of July 3, 1866, springs composed of layers, as described, and simply riveted together wherethe laps occur, are confined in a hoxf having a loose cover. I have found, however, that by properly securing the layers together, and adapting the springs to a suitable pocket or'sad dle, the cumbrousbo x tnaybe dispensed with.

It will be seen that the layers at the top and bottom of the spring, are fitted to a sleevepB, and secured thereto'either by riveting, as shown in fig. {1, or by forming protuberances on one layer'to fit. into a recessin the adjacent layer, as seen in fig. 5. The layers are thus effectually secured where the lap-joints occur; but as a further security, and with a vlew of' combining the two springs, s l as to form one entire self-contained spring, I make use oftwo cast-iron pockets or saddles, D, in a manner whichI will now proceed to describe. In the present instance, the saddle is constructed for the two springs A and A, but it may be made for a single'spring only, or for more than two springs. I

The saddle consists of a plate, d, with two projecting flanges, e c, and anintermediat'e central rib, f. Recesses h h are formed, one for the reception'ofthe sleeve B of one spring, and the other for that of the other spring, the layers composing each spring being confined laterally between one of 'the flanges e andthe central rib f. The saddles are adjusted to the springs as shown in figs. 2 and 3, and are confined-thereto by cross-bars 2' 2' fittingbetween the flanges e e of the saddle, one on each side of and in contact with the sleeve B, where they are secured by screws or.rivets,j, passing-into or through the central ribfof thesaddle.

It should be clearly understood that in compressin'g'the springs the saddles bear upon the sleeves B only, and are always free from contact vertically with the layers, no matter how far the spring may be compressed, the plate 0! of the saddle being so formed that it can never come in contact withthe layers, (see fig. 2.) In fact the object of the saddle is not to add rigidity to the springs, but to assist in maintaining the component 'parts of each spring in their-proper lateral position, and to so combine two or more springs that the whole will-form one entire self-contained car-spring.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- One or more springs, each of which is composed of one or more layers, in the mannerdescribed, in combination with saddles constructed and adapted to the said spring or springs, substantially as specifierL.

In testimony whereof, I .have'signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses. I

WILLIAM R. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

Jenn WHITE, 6. B PRICE. 

